As with every art, cooking also requires passion, interest and time... Irrespective of doing it as a leisure activity or on a regular basis, it involves dedication. The happiness you derive out of cooking by your self and serving is endless... esp someone appreciating your recipe...how nice it feels, is it not???

You may wonder about the title of this blog..Iyer Iyengar Kitchen...I am a Tanjore Iyer married to an Iyengar and picked up cooking by learning the delicacies of both the customs....and that is what I am sharing here... Recipes popular among the Tamil Iyer & Iyengar communities..

I would be really happy if this benefits atleast few of you....if you find this useful, pass this on to your friends..

Thursday, 15 September 2011

Arachuvitta Vathal Kuzhambu

My first blog was on Vathal Kuzhambu. Now to add some more spice to Vathal Kuzhambu, here is one more type of making it with freshly ground powder…like Araithuvitta Sambhar, this is Araithuvitta Vathal kuzhambu / Arachuvitta Vathal Kuzhambu. Iyengars term this as Arachuvitta Vendhiya Kuzhambu / Arachuvitta Mendhiya Kuzhambu.

Ingredients:

1.Tamarind (Puli) – Size of Two big sized Lemons

2.Salt (kal/podi uppu) – As required

3.Turmeric powder – a pinch

4.Mustard (Kadugu) – for seasoning (1 tsp)

5.Fenugreek (Venthayam) – for seasoning (2 tsps)

6.Toor Dal (Thuvaram Paruppu) – for seasoning (2 tsps)

7.Asafoedita (Perungayam) – pinch of it for taste

8.Curry Leaves – some 10 to 15 leaves as per taste

9.Any Vegetable / Vathal ( Referred as ‘Thaan’)

10.(Usually Vathal Kuzhambu can be made from Vegetable Thaans like Pumpkin, Ladys finger, drum stick or Vathals like Manathakkali Vathal, Sundakkai Vathal, Pooshanikkai Vathal, Kothavarangai Vathal, etc.) / You can choose to make it as Paruppu Urundai Kuzhambu by using cooked dal balls instead of vegetable.

11.Oil – 5 tbsps.

Preparation Procedure for Vathal Kuzhambu Podi:

Roast the below mentioned ingredients in 2 tsps of oil and allow them to cool and grind it in a mixer to a fine powder:

1.Red Chillies: 6 to 7

2.Gram dal: 1 tsp

3.Toor dal: 1 tsps

4.Coriander Seeds: 2 tsps

5.Curry leaves: 2 leaf

6.Asafoedita: a pinch

7.Grated coconut : 1 tsp (optional) : I don’t prefer to use this since the kuzhambu will be spoilt soon.

Preparation Procedure:

1.In Warm Water, add Tamarind and extract juice to make it as a Tamarind Water (Puli Jalam)